South Africa’s number one Chinese bakkie brand rejuvenates their trusted Steed range
After decades of service to the South African SOE, fleet and business customers, as well as leisure and lifestyle customers seeking a utility vehicle that truly is a versatile workhorse, Haval Motors SA (HMSA) is happy to announce that a new and upgraded version of the effervescent Steed range will be available in GWM dealerships across the country from mid-December and again after the festive break. Deliveries to dealerships will resume early in January 2022. The new generation Steed will replace the current Steed 5, Steed 6 & Steed 5e.
As is commonplace with the bestselling Chinese Bakkie brand in South Africa, there is no “skimping” on technology and safety when it comes to this value proposition working bakkie. Overall changes include specification upgrades, design changes & engine power delivery improvement to name but a few upgrades. The vehicle remains on the same tried and trusted chassis as the outgoing Steed.
There will be two grades available to the South African buyer – the “S” grade which is a workhorse level specification & the “SX” which is a mid-grade specification level. Both the Single and Double Cab Facelifted Steed share the same diesel engine paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. The petrol Steed powerplant will be discontinued in lieu of the greater diesel powerplant gains in terms of performance and fuel economy.
In December last year, the AA released NCAP results that didn’t bode well for the Steed even though the very base model was tested. The vehicle in question was the entry level without Airbags or ABS. Taking this extremely seriously, the R&D and product planning teams both domestically and in China, jumped to action and just 12 months later we bring you a vehicle that is not only updated, but moreover even more safe than ever before. With the launch of this new generation Steed, we are delighted to announce that all our Steeds now come with dual airbags and ABS as standard equipment across the range.
The model line-up for the 2022 Steed is split as follows, Single Cab will be available in 2.0 S 4×2 6MT; 2.0 S 4×4 6MT; 2.0 SX 4×4 6MT, again only in diesel derivatives. The Double Cab offering is 2.0 SX 4×2 6MT and 2.0 SX 4×4 6MT.
What’s different? Starting with the exterior, the new Steed offers a new front grille and bumper. The bumper is also colour coded and there is an addition of an outer tie down. The interior features a black luxury trim change with the overall look and feel of the outgoing Steed 6 interior. The S & SX grade will feature the same single din AM/FM radio with USB port is available on the radio deck itself.
KEY SPECIFICATIONS BY GRADE
“S” Grade:
Note: * – Upgrade vs previous Steed version without Airbags & ABS +EBD
“SX” Grade (In addition to the above spec on S Grade)
Note: * – Upgrade vs previous
As you can see the new Steed is packed with updates and technology plus increased levels of safety across the range, but that’s what you can expect from SA’s most loved Chinese bakkie brand.
In terms of engine performance, the numbers don’t lie, and the increases are clear. Engine output is increased by 5kw & 15Nm on the new range in comparison with the outgoing model, with the torque being delivered earlier in rev range @1400rpm some 400 Rpm lower than before so turbo lag is greatly reduced while throttle response and power improvements leading to a more linear curve.
A service plan is available as standard only on the Double Cab version being 3 years/40 000 km, however an optional purchase service plan is available for Single Cab. The new Steed will continue from its predecessor offering a warranty of 5 years or 100 000km.
Steed, the original workhorse just became even more attractive.
